Cheating The Billionaire

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Taylor scribbled over her sketch and tore the paper before crumbling it into another paper ball. She had been up all night working on her new designs.

“I can’t mess this up! Urgh, where are the creative gods when you need them the most?” she cribbed and threw her arms over the table.

All that thinking and sketching had exhausted her, Taylor’s stomach rumbled with hunger. She looked for some snacks in her bag but all she got was a tin of mint  and dried gum.

“They must have something in the kitchen, I could really eat a horse right now,” She said to herself and decided to head downstairs.

As she walked down she heard some noises from the kitchen. “Someone’s in there before me,” she paused and wondered who it could be.

“Lauren! Go back to your room!”

“Oh, stop it! I know you want me!”

“Lauren?? Isn’t she the old man’s girlfriend?” Taylor gasped 

“That didn’t sound like the old man though,” Taylor raised her brows and decided to investigate.

Minding her steps, she tried to peep inside the moonlit kitchen but slipped and pushed the glass jar. The couple in the kitchen turned when the jar crashed with a loud thud. “Who’s that?” Lauren frowned.

“Taylor!!” Chase exclaimed.

“Dammit!” Taylor’s cheeks went red in utter embarrassment. She stood up and looked at the two. Lauren was all over him with nothing but a thin satin robe that barely covered her assets. 

“Uh… don’t mind me I was just…” Taylor stuttered before someone turned on the lights.

“Lauren?? Chase??” Chase’s grandfather stood at the doorway and stared at the sight in front of him.

“Hehe...Chase is dead!” Taylor thought and stifled her giggle.

“Honey! Thank god you arrived on time!” Lauren switched to a damsel in distress and began crying.

“Wait what??” Chase dropped his jaw in bewilderment and so did Taylor.

“Woah! This b***h has some sick acting skills,” Taylor thought and watched as the drama unfolded.

“I came down to grab a sandwich when he...he caught me from behind...and wasn’t letting me go,” Lauren cried crocodile tears.

“Chase, what were you thinking you scum!” His grandfather got wild and yelled on top of his lungs.

“This is your chance, Taylor. Even if he is a scum...call the shots and win him back,” A voice in Taylor’s head echoed.

“This is insane, you really believe I would hook up with your keep?” Chase broke a nerve.

“Chase is right Mr.Franshaw,” Taylor interrupted and grabbed everyone’s attention.

“Lauren was the one forcing herself on Chase...I saw it myself,” Taylor commented and saw Chase from the corner of her eye. “Yup...target locked…” she smiled and thought to herself in satisfaction.

“Huh...how can you say that? You weren’t even here!” Lauren yelled and looked at Mr. Franshaw. “Don’t believe her, you know i wouldn’t cheat on you,” she ran her fingers over his face.

“I wasn’t but I was the one who sent Chase to get me an ice pack, right Chase,” Taylor quickly cooked up a story and surprised Chase.

“Uh..Yeah...She sent...me down….to...get an ice pack...Yes,she did,” Chase played on and ran his fingers through his hair.

“That’s ridiculous, why would Chase care for this noob?” Lauren frowned.

“That’s enough, LAUREN!” Mr. Franshaw said her name loud and walked away.

“Wait, honey! Don’t tell me you believed all that s**t she told you? Honey wait,”  Lauren followed him to his remove before giving Taylor a dirty look.

Chase heaved a sigh of relief and broke the silence in the air. “Urgh! Why does he even bring trash like her to family outings?” Chase complained and walked pass Taylor.

“Did he just ignore the fact that I saved him?” Taylor was taken aback.

She saw him leave the kitchen as if she didn’t exist at all. “This is harder than I thought! What am I going to do?” Taylor felt crestfallen and walked back to her room.

She slumped on the bed and felt stupid defending Chase. “Great, I literally saved his ass and he didn't even say a simple thank you!” She sighed and tried texting Zac but her messages couldn’t go through.

“I still feel it’s best we leave this city and go live in hiding till they forget about Zac,” She sighed and soon fell asleep.

Next morning, Taylor woke up listening to Mr. Franshaw and Lauren having an ugly argument outside the villa. She rushed to the balcony and noticed Lauren leaving angrily with all of her luggage.

“Looks like he did believe my little story,” Taylor smiled but quickly frowned. “I have no time to think about Chase right now, I need to get some designs for Camila or she’ll eat me raw,” She bit her lower lip and went back inside.

Taylor spent the whole morning by the restaurant, designing the new collection for Camila. “Well at least i got started on something but I still feel something is missing! Think, Taylor,” She spoke to herself when all of a sudden she heard Chase’s voice.

“The ice pack you asked for!” Chase came from behind and placed a chilled beer on her table.

Taylor looked up and noticed his devilish grin. “Thanks for averting a crisis back there,” He added and looked into her eyes. 

“Oh, um it was nothing…” Taylor smiled sheepishly and looked back at her drawings.

“Working on your new designs?” He bent over her and brought his face closer to hers to have a look at her designs.

“Uh..mm...kinda...Camila wants them ready by tomorrow,”  she replied nervously as the scent of his after shave teased her senses. 

“Hmm...I know she can be a hoe at times,” he said and picked her pencil. “May I?” he asked and before Taylor could reply he began adding something to her design.

With his arms placed on her either side on the table, Taylor held her breath and shrunk while he continued sketching without getting distracted. 

“Calm down, he isn’t Zac! Quit behaving like a teenager,” She told herself as she could feel her cheeks heat up.

“There! What do you think?” Chase finished and asked her.

Taylor looked at her design and gasped, Chase had made a beautiful addition to her design. “Wow, this is gorgeous! You’re really good at this!” Taylor was impressed. “I never knew a..” She was cut short by him.

“...A murderer would be good at fashion designing?” He completed the statement for her and took her by surprise.

Taylor gulped and turned nervous again, “No...I-I didn’t mean that,” She looked away, recalling the night at the office.

“Relax...I was just teasing you,” He chuckled and pushed the beer towards her.

“Well that's a good start!” Taylor thought and felt at ease that she still had a shot at him.

“You said something?” He raised his brow suspiciously.

“Nope, no...nothing,” Taylor grinned.

“Hey! Good I found you both here,” Matt exclaimed excitedly. “Care for a surfing session? The waves are perfect today,” He added and faluted his surfboard.

“Sounds fun, what say we hit the waves?” Chase looked at Taylor and challenged her to a surfing contest.

“Thanks, I’m good here,” Taylor drank the beer.

“Scared already huh?” He provoked her.

“Sigh, let the waves be the judge of that,” she smirked and accepted his challenge.

Genevie cheered the three as they entered the sea with their surfboards. Gen had lent hers to Taylor. As the waves soared, the three got on to their surfboards and began surfing.

“Kick his butt!” Gen boosted Taylor.

Chase noticed how gracefully Taylor surfed.

“Hump! That is average!” Chase smirked and waited as the next big came towards them.

He went through the tunnel, touching the walls of the wave and looked at Taylor. “What are we 6th graders?” She thought as he sat on his surfboard and gloated in pride.

Just then Taylor spotted something moving in the water. “Oh no! SHARK!” She screamed and swam towards him.

Chase couldn’t hear her and wondered why she was swimming towards him. 

“Chase! Behind you!” She yelled.

Before Chase could turn back he got thrown off his surfboard.

Matt and Gen looked on worriedly and informed the life guard while Chase tried to balance himself underwater. His eyes met that of the white shark that immediately reached for his arm. Taylor swam near them and landed a hard punch on the shark’s nose. It opened it’s jaws and released Chase’s arm.

“Quicky!” Taylor noticed his bleeding arm and held it tight. She helped him swim back to the shore.

“Freak! Is he alright, get the medics?” Gen panicked.

“It’s alright, It’s just a bite!” Chase grunted in pain.

“Just a bite?? Are you shitting me?” Taylor frowned and pulled out her hair scarf.

She tied it over his arms to stop the bleeding. “Thanks Taylor, i’ll take him to the medic,” he said and took Chase away.

“That was really brave what you did there!” Gen smiled at Taylor and ran after Matt.

In the evening Taylor showed Camila the designs.

“Hmm...very brave…” Camila commented as she flipped through them.

“The collection?” Taylor looked puzzled.

“I’m talking about what you did there with Chase, I have definitely undermined you,” She added with a pensive look. “As for the designs, they are equally splendid, did someone help you with these?” she enquired and caught Taylor off guard.

“No-No...why did you ask?…” Taylor broke into a sweat.

“Hmm...just like that…” Camila squinted her eyes and kept the designs aside. “Good job, I'm glad this trip proved beneficial to your creativity,” she added.

Taylor could finally take a breather, she had managed to impress Camila yet again with a little help by Chase. “I wonder how he’s doing?” she thought and decided to check on him. 

She knocked on his door and entered only to find it vacant. “Uh...where did he go? It’s like this room was never used…” Taylor crunched her brows.

“He left after returning from the doc’s place. Was something urgent he said,” Matt appeared in the corridor and startled her.

“Oh...alright,” She felt disappointed for the first time and walked towards her room.

“What's this?” Taylor found a note on her bedside, it was from Chase.

“Apologies for leaving without meeting you. I couldn’t get to thank you properly so let me make up for it by taking you out this weekend,” Taylor read the note and felt glad she was back on track.

“Phew! I thought I had nearly lost him. Wait till Zac hears this!” Taylor smiled and hit the sack.

Back at home, Zac recalled how he killed Chase’s manager. Zac had never done this before but circumstances compelled him to do so since he had to safeguard Taylor’s identity. The manager had discovered that Taylor was Zac’s partner, so it was best to take him out of the picture to safeguard their interest.